Ab initio study of the reactions of Ga(2P, 2S, and 2P) with methane

The role of NH3 and hydrocarbon mixtures in GaN pseudo-halide CVD: a quantum chemical study

The prospects of a control for a novel gallium nitride pseudo-halide vapor phase epitaxy (PHVPE) with HCN were thoroughly analyzed for hydrocarbons-NH3-Ga gas phase on the basis of quantum chemical investigation with DFT (B3LYP, B3LYP with D3 empirical correction on dispersion interaction) and ab-initio (CASSCF, coupled clusters, and multireference configuration interaction including MRCI+Q) methods. The computational screening of reactions for different hydrocarbons (CH4, C2H6, C3H8, C2H4, and C2H2) as readily available carbon precursors for HCN formation, potential chemical transport agents, and for controlled carbon doping of deposited GaN was carried out with the B3LYP method in conjunction with basis sets up to aug-cc-pVTZ. The gas phase intermediates for the reactions in the Ga-hydrocarbon systems were predicted at different theory levels. The located π-complexes Ga…C2H2 and Ga…C2H4 were studied to determine a probable catalytic activity in reactions with NH3. A limited influence of the carbon-containing atmosphere was exhibited for the carbon doping of GaN crystal in the conventional GaN chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process with hydrocarbons injected in the gas phase. Our results provide a basis for experimental studies of GaN crystal growth with C2H4 and C2H2 as auxiliary carbon reagents for the Ga-NH3 and Ga-C-NH3 CVD systems and prerequisites for reactor design to enhance and control the PHVPE process through the HCN synthesis.

Potential Energy Surfaces for Reactions of X Metal Atoms (X = Cu, Zn, Cd, Ga, Al, Au, or Hg) with YH4 Molecules (Y = C, Si, or Ge) and Transition Probabilities at Avoided Crossings in Some Cases

We review ab initio studies based on quantum mechanics on the most important mechanisms of reaction leading to the C–H, Si–H, and Ge–H bond breaking of methane, silane, and germane, respectively, by a metal atom in the lowest states in symmetry: X(2nd excited state, 1st excited state and ground state) + YH4 H3XYH H + XYH3 and XH + YH3. with X = Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, Al, and G, and Y = C, Si, and Ge. Important issues considered here are (a) the role that the occupation of the d-, s-, or p-shells of the metal atom plays in the interactions with a methane or silane or germane molecule, (b) the role of either singlet or doublet excited states of metals on the reaction barriers, and (c) the role of transition probabilities for different families of reacting metals with these gases, using the H–X–Y angle as a reaction coordinate. The breaking of the Y–H bond of YH4 is useful in the production of amorphous hydrogenated films, necessary in several fields of industry.

Transition probabilities for the Au ((2)S, (2)D, and (2)P) with SiH(4) reaction

Transition probabilities on the interaction of the ground and the lowest excited states of gold Au ((2)S:5d(10)6s(1), (2)D:5d(9)6s(2), and (2)P:5d(10)6p(1)) with silane (SiH(4)) are studied through ab initio Hartree-Fock self-consistent field calculations, where the atom's core is represented by relativistic effective core potentials. These calculations are followed by a multiconfigurational self-consistent field study. The correlation energy is accounted for through extensive variational and perturbative second order multireference Moller-Plesset configuration interaction analysis of selected perturbations obtained by iterative process calculations using the CIPSI program package. It is found that the Au atom in the ((2)P:5d(10)6p(1)) state inserts in the Si-H bond. In this interaction its corresponding D (2)A(') potential energy surface is initially attractive and only becomes repulsive after encountering an avoided crossing with the initially repulsive C (2)A(') surface linked to the Au((2)D:5d(9)6s(2))-SiH(4) fragments. The A, B, and C (2)A(') curves derived from the Au((2)D:5d(9)6s(2)) atom interaction with silane are initially repulsive, each one of them showing two avoided crossings, while the A (2)A(') curve goes sharply downwards until it meets the X (2)A(') curve interacting adiabatically, which is linked with the Au((2)S:5d(10)6s(1))-SiH(4) moieties. The A (2)A(') curve becomes repulsive after the avoided crossing with the X (2)A('), curve. The lowest-lying X (2)A(') potential leads to the HAuSiH(3) X (2)A(') intermediate molecule. This intermediate molecule, diabatically correlated with the Au((2)P:5d(10)6p(1))+SiH(4) system which lies 3.34 kcal/mol above the ground state reactants, has been carefully characterized as have the dissociation channels leading to the AuH+SiH(3) and H+AuSiH(3) products. These products are reached from the HAuSiH(3) intermediate without any activation barrier. The Au-SiH(4) calculation results are successfully compared to experiment. Landau-Zener theory of avoided crossings is applied to these interactions considering the angle theta instead of the distance r as the reaction coordinate.

Ab initio study of the reactions of Ga(2P, 2S, and 2P) with silane

The interactions of Ga((2)P:4s(2)4p(1), (2)S:4s(2)5s(1), and (2)P:4s(2)5p(1)) with SiH(4) are studied by means of Hartree-Fock self-consistent field (SCF) and multiconfigurational SCF followed by extensive variational and perturbational second-order multireference Møller-Plesset configuration by perturbation selected by iterative process calculations, using relativistic effective core potentials. The Ga atom in its (2)P(4s(2)5p(1)) state can spontaneously insert into the SiH(4). The Ga atom in its (2)S(4s(2)5s(1)) state is inserted into the SiH(4). In this interaction the 3 (2)A(') potential energy surface initially attractive becomes repulsive after meeting the 2 (2)A(') surface linked with the Ga((2)P:4s(2)4p(1))+SiH(4) fragments. The two (2)A(') curves (2 (2)A(') and X (2)A(')) derived from the interaction of Ga((2)P:4s(2)4p(1)) atom with silane molecule are initially repulsive. The 2 (2)A(') curve after an avoided crossing with the 3 (2)A(') curve goes down until it meets the X (2)A(') curve. The 2 (2)A(') curve becomes repulsive after the avoided crossing with the X (2)A(') curve. The X (2)A(') curve becomes attractive only after its avoided crossing with the 2 (2)A(') curve. The lowest-lying X (2)A(') potential leads to the HGaSiH(3)X (2)A(') intermediate molecule. This intermediate molecule, diabatically correlated with the Ga((2)S:4s(2)5s(1))+SiH(4) fragments, which lies 1.5 kcal/mol above the ground state reactants leads to the GaH+SiH(3) or H+GaSiH(3) products through the dissociation channels. These products are reached from the HGaSiH(3) intermediate without activation barriers. This work shows that the Ga atom at its first excited state in the presence of silane molecules in gas phase leads to the formation of SiH(3) radicals, H atoms, GaH hydrides, as well as gallium silicide molecules.